. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 

FARMERS' 
BULLETIN 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


700 


JANUARY  18,  1916 


Contribution  from  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry,  Wm.  A.  Taylor,  Chief. 

PECAN  CULTURE;  WITH  SPECIAL  REFERENCE  TO 
PROPAGATION  AND  VARIETIES. 

By  C.  A.  REED, 
Nut  Culturist,  Office  of  Horticultural  and  Pomological  Investigations. 


Economic  importance  of  the  p< 
Native  range  
Cultural  distribution  
Soil  and  moisture  requirement 
Propagation  
Seed  selection  
Care  of  the  seed  

can  

3  

CONT 

Page. 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
6 

ENTS. 

Page. 
Care  of  annular  and  patch  buds  15 
Chip  budding        ....                                      16 

Length  of  time  trees  should  remain  in  the 
nursery  17 

The  preservation  of  nut-bearing  forests. 
Top-working  

..   ..        17 
18 
18 
19 
a..           21 
23 
25 

Trees  suitable  for  top-working 

Planting  the  seed  
Comparison  of  budded  and  gra 
Cleft  grafting  

Formulas  for  grafting  wax  .  .  . 
Preparation  of  grafting  clo  h.. 
Care  of  cleft  grafts 

fted  trees 

5  

6 
7 
8 
10 
10 
10 
11 
12 

Top-working  the  hickory  with 
Planting  

thepeca 

Cultivation  

Bearing  age  

28 

Present  prices  of  the  nuts.  .  . 

26 
27 

Nursery  whip  grafting  

The  selection  of  varieties.  .  .  . 
"Papershell  "  pecans  
Varieties 

27 
....'.        28 

28 

Annular  budding  
Patch  budding  

12 
14 

ECONOMIC  IMPORTANCE  OF  THE  PECAN. 

In  1909,  according  to  the  census  reports  of  the  following  year,  there 
"were  produced  in  the  United  States  9,890,769  pounds  of  pecans, 
valued  at  $971,596;  15,628,770  pounds  of  Mark  walnuts,  valued  at 
$244,479;  22,026,524  pounds  of  Persian  (English)  walnuts,  valued  at 
$2,297.:j:u; :  and  r>.7'.>:J.539  pounds  of  almonds,  valued  at  $711,970.  The 
value  of  the  pecan  crop,  therefore,  was  approximately  four  times  that 
of  the  black  walnut,  one-third  greater  than  that  of  the  almond,  and 
less  than  one-half  that  of  the  Persian  walnut. 

11431  °— Bull.  700—16 1 


2  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  100. 

In  comparison  with  certain  fruits  the  value  of  the  pecan  crop  of 
1909  was  approximately  one-ninetieth  that  of  apples,  one-thirtieth 
that  of  peaches  and  nectarines  combined,  one-ninth  that  of  pears, 
one-eighth  that  of  cherries,  and  one-quarter  that  of  Florida  oranges. 

In  the  number  of  farms  from  which  nut  trees  were  reported  this 
species  easily  takes  first  rank,  as  pecan  trees  were  reported  from 
81,493  farms,  black  walnuts  from  69,831  farms,  Persian  walnuts  from 
36,858  farms,  and  almonds  from  13,095  farms.  Therefore  16  per  cent 
more  farmers  were  engaged  in  raising  pecans  than  black  walnuts, 
124  per  cent  more  than  Persian  walnuts,  and  523  per  cent  more  than 
almonds. 

The  production  of  pecans  more  than  trebled  between  1899  and  1909, 
while  that  of  Persian  walnuts  doubled,  and  that  of  almonds  is  shown 
to  have  decreased  slightly  during  the  same  period.1 

Taking  into  consideration  with  these  figures  the  facts  that  pecan 
planting  on  a  large  scale  and  the  introduction  of  intensive  methods 
of  cultivation  were  but  fairly  inaugurated  when  the  census  of  1910 
was  taken,  that,  while  the  major  portion  of  pecan  planting  is  near 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  South  Atlantic  coast,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  mountainous  and  low-land  sections  the  pecan  is  more  or 
less  common  over  practically  the  whole  southeastern  quarter  of  the 
United  States,  and  that  the  commercial  production  of  the  Persian 
walnut  in  this  country  is  as  yet  limited  to  but  small  portions  of  two 
States  (California  and  Oregon),  it  is  at  once  apparent  that  the  pecan 
i?  destined  to  become  by  far  the  most  important  of  our  nut-bearing 
tfees. 

NATIVE  RANGE. 

The  pecan  is  an  American  species  found  only  in  certain  parts  of 
the  United  States  and  Mexico.  Figure  1  is  an  outline  map  of  the 
United  States,  showing  the  areas  of  the  natural  range  and  the  districts 
within  which  it  is  now  under  cultivation.  From  this  map  it  will  be 
seen  that  with  the  exception  of  a  small  area  in  central  Alabama,  west 
of  Montgomery,2  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  section  to  which  the 
pecan  is  native  is  marked  by  an  irregular  line  drawn  southward 
apross  central  Kentucky  to  central  Tennessee ;  thence  south  and  west 
tp  central  northern  Mississippi  and  southwest  to  central  southern 
Louisiana ;  from  this  point  the  line  parallels  the  borders  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico  to  southern  Texas,  without  reaching  the  coast.  In  a  line 
nearly  parallel  to  that  of  the  eastern  border,  the  western  boundary 
of  its  natural  range  extends  from  southwestern  Iowa  across  eastern 
Kansas,  western  Oklahoma,  and  western  Texas  to  the  Rio  Grande. 

*As  the  production  of  almonds  varies  greatly  from  year  to  year,  this  is  not  an  abso- 
lutely fair  comparison. 

2  Mohr,  C.  The  distribution  of  some  forest  trees  in  the  Southern  States.  In  Card,  and 
Forest,  v.  6,  no.  289,  pp.  372-373.  1893. 


PECAN   CULTURE. 


3 


CULTURAL  DISTRIBUTION. 

East  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  its  northern  tributaries  the  pecan     iC 
has  been  introduced  into  most  of  those  States  to  which  it  is  not  native,  " 
but  it  is  only  within  certain  localities  that  orchards  of  named  varie- 
ties have  attained  bearing  age.     With  the  exception  of  the  native 
trees  occurring  in  western  Kentucky,  southern  Indiana,  southern 
Illinois,  southeastern  Iowa,  and  eastern  Missouri,  few  pecan  trees 
are  found  north  of  the  latitude  of  lower  Virginia.     Annual  crops 
from  even  the  native  trees  are  fairly  uncertain  north  of  the  39th 
degree  of  latitude,  or  about  that  of  Vincennes.     The  pecan  does  not 
a&apt  itself  to  mountainous  sections  or  to  low  lands  where  water 


FIG.  1. — Outline  map  of  the  United  States,  showing  the  range  of  the  pecan  exclusive  of 
occasional  plantings  in  the  Western  States  and  scattered  trees  throughout  the  West 
and  North. 

stands  on  or  near  the  surface  of  the  ground  for  considerable  periods. 
Few  trees  have  been  planted  in  the  southern  portion  of  peninsular 
Florida  or  in  mountainous  regions,  but  with  these  exceptions  pecans 
are  not  uncommon  in  all  the  large  areas  of  the  southeastern  United 
States. 

Near  the  Gulf  coast  there  are  frequently  found  large  trees  whose 
evident  age  indicates  that  the  planting  of  pecans  in  the  Southern 
'States  to  the  east  and  south  of  the  area  of  the  natural  range  of  the 
pecan  has  been  in  progress  for  more  than  a  century.  The  planting 
of  orchards  of  seedling  trees  began  about  20  years  after  the  Civil 
War.  During  the  early  nineties  grafted  and  budded  trees  of  named 
varieties  were  secured  in  sufficient  numbers  to  permit  the  planting  of 
occasional  orchards  of  such  trees,  but  comparatively  few  orchards  of 
either  seedlings  or  grafted  trees  were  planted  previous  to  1900. 


23315J 


4  FARMERS     BULLETIN   700. 

Since  that  time,  however,  especially  during  the  last  8  or  10  years,  the 
planting  of  pecan  orchards  in  the  Southern  States  has  taken  place 
at  a  continually  increasing  rate.  In  southern  Mississippi,  southern 
Alabama,  central  and  southern  Georgia,  and  northern  Florida,  large 
areas,  frequently  in  orchards  of  several  hundred  acres  in  extent, 
have  been  planted  to  pecan  trees. 

In  comparison  with  the  activity  in  pecan  culture  of  the  Southern 
States  the  West  has  shown  very  little  interest  in  this  nut.  Occasional 
small  plantings  may  be  found  in  certain  parts  of  each  of  the  three 
States  bordering  upon  the  Pacific.  So  far  as  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  has  been  able  to  ascertain,  the  number  of  trees  planted 
in  either  Washington  or  Oregon  has  been  too  limited  and  scattered  to 
make  possible  any  satisfactory  report  as  to  the  probable  adaptability 
of  the  species  to  that  section.  The  most  favorable  reports  of  pecan 
performance  on  the  Pacific  coast  have  come  from  the  interior  val- 
leys of  central  and  northern  California.  Very  favorable  reports  have 
been  received  from  small  orchards  and  scattered  trees  (mainly 
seedlings)  from  Chico,  Woodland,  Winters,  Vacaville,  Elk  Grove, 
Stockton,  Farmington,  Patterson,  Fresno,  and  Bakersfield,  Cal. 
Reports  from  Anaheim  and  Whittier,  in  southern  California,  where 
great  trouble  is  experienced  with  pecan  rosette,  have  been  much  less 
encouraging.  In  the  opinion  of  one  of  the  leading  practical  horti- 
culturists of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  the  pecan  offers  greater  induce- 
ments for  that  particular  section  than  does  the  almond  or  the  walnut 
(Persian). 

SOIL  AND  MOISTURE  REQUIREMENTS. 

A  deep,  fertile  soil,  sufficiently  porous  to  admit  of  free  root  growth, 
well  drained  yet  by  no  means  dry,  is  considered  best  adapted  to 
pecan  culture.  Localities  in  which  the  water  table  is  within  reach  of 
the  taproot  seem  to  be  preferred  by  the  pecan.  This  fact  is  of  such 
common  belief  with  the  well  drivers  of  the  semiarid  portions  of 
Texas  that  they  seek  proximity  to  pecan  trees  when  boring  for  water. 
It  ;is  essential  that  the  trees  be  not  allowed  to  remain  in  standing 
waler  for  any  great  length  of  time,  although  an  occasional  overflow 
to  a  depth  of  several  feet  apparently  is  beneficial  rather  than 
harmful. 

.The  soils  of  certain  localities  are  undoubtedly  better  adapted  to 
pecan  culture  than  those  of  others,  but  it  is  as  yet  impossible  to  pick 
the  best  soil  or  locality,  notwithstanding  the  claims  of  enthusiastic 
land  venders.  With  the  exception  of  the  southern  half  of  Florida, 
where,  as  shown  by  figure  1,  there  are  practically  no  cultivated  trees, 
there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  promising  thrifty  young  orchards  in 
the  southern  halves  of  the  States  bordering  upon  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 


PECAN   CULTURE.  5 

and  the  eastern  halves  of  the  South  Atlantic  States  to  give  reason- 
able assurance  of  the  commercial  possibilities  of  the  pecan  in  almost 
any  fertile  and  well-drained  portion  of  this  area.  However,  there  is 
as  yet  no  indication  that  any  one  section  is  preeminently  better  suited 
to  pecan  growing  than  other  general  sections. 

PROPAGATION. 

WHO  SHOULD  ATTEMPT  THE  PROPAGATION  OF  PECAN  TREES. 

Pecans  and  other  species  of  the  same  genus  (Hicoria)  are  more 
difficult  to  propagate  by  budding  or  grafting  than  fruit  trees.  The 
inexperienced  operator,  therefore,  must  expect  a  very  low  percentage 
of  successes  as  the  result  of  his  first  attempts  at  budding  or  grafting 
the  pecan.  Skilled  propagators,  however,  are  now  so  successful  that 
under  favorable  conditions  the  percentage  of  failures  is  no  longer  a 
matter  of  consequence. 

Xo  attempt  to  bud  pecans  should  be  made  on  rainy  days  or  in  early 
mornings  following  heavy  dews.  Extremely  hot  days  should  be 
avoided,  especially  if  accompanied  by  drying  winds.  Moderately 
cool,  cloudy  days,  without  wind  or  rain,  are  best  for  pecan  bud- 
ding. 

The  propagation  of  pecan  trees,  like  that  of  fruit  trees,  is  a  highly 
specialized  industry.  The  selection  and  preparation  of  suitable  soil, 
the  choosing  of  seed  and  its  proper  care  previous  to  planting,  the 
details  of  planting,  the  care  of  the  young  seedlings,  the  work  of 
budding  or  grafting,  and,  finally,  the  digging  of  the  trees  are  all 
steps  which  require  experience,  and  oftentimes  the  most  experi- 
enced nurserymen  are  in  doubt  regarding  the  best  methods  to  em- 
ploy. The  best  results  are  attained  where  the  quantity  of  stock 
grown  is  sufficient  to  permit  the  elimination  of  all  inferior  trees. 

The  importance  of  using  well-grown  nursery  trees  when  establish- 
ing an  orchard  is  so  great  and  the  possibility  of  the  average  man 
being  able  to  raise  good  nursery  trees  is  so  doubtful  that  under 
ordinary  circumstances  it  is  far  better  to  purchase  stock  from  some 
reputable  nursery.  When  trees  of  varieties  suited  to  the  particular 
section  where  the  planting  is  to  take  place  are  not  available,  or  some- 
times when  new  varieties  are  to  be  first  propagated,  the  planter,  of 
course,  must  be  his  own  nurseryman. 

The  instructions  regarding  methods  of  propagation  which  follow 
are  intended  not  to  inform  the  experienced  nurseryman  how  to  im- 
prove upon  his  methods,  but  to  assist  the  beginner  who  of  necessity 
is  obliged  to  raise  his  own  stock  or  who  has  trees  for  top-working. 
In  general,  the  methods  and  principles  used  in  pecan  propagation 
are  also  applicable  to  the  propagation  of  hickories  and  walnuts. 


6  FARMERS*  BULLETIN   'JOO. 

SEED  SELECTION. 

The  experience  of  nurserymen  throughout  the  entire  pecan  sec- 
tion indicates  that  plump-meated  nuts  of  medium  size  from  thrifty, 
productive,  annual-bearing  trees,  free  from  disease,  are  the  most 
desirable  for  seed  purposes.  It  has  also  been  the  observation  of 
these  nurserymen  that  nuts  from  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  usually 
have  a  higher  and  more  prompt  percentage  of  germination  than  those 
from  Louisiana  or  Texas.  It  is  generally  conceded  to  be  important 
that  seed  should  be  selected  from  a  latitude  equal  to  or  north  of  that 
in  which  the  trees  are  to  be  planted. 

CARE  OF  THE  SEED. 

Pecans  intended  for  seed  should  be  retained  previous  to  planting 
in  as  nearly  as  possible  the  condition  of  the  nuts  at  the  time  of 
harvest.  If  the  nuts  become  dry  they  should  be  thoroughly  soaked 
before  planting.  If  to  be  held  over  fall  and  winter  for  spring 
planting  they  should  be  placed  in  moist  sand  (technically  speaking, 
"  stratified  ")  as  soon  as  harvested,  where  they  should  be  held  at  a 
low  temperature  in  a  dark  place.  They  may  be  kept  in  a  cellar  or 
buried  in  the  ground,  as  preferred,  but  in  either  case  precaution 
should  be  taken  to  guard  against  rodents,  fluctuating  temperatures, 
and  insufficient  drainage. 

PLANTING  THE  SEED. 

Pecan  seed  may  be  planted  soon  after  harvest  or  early  in  the 
spring.  Fall  planting  does  away  with  the  need  of  stratifying  the 
seed,  but  involves  the  risk  of  very  considerable  loss  from  -winter  in- 
jury and  from  mice  or  other  rodents. 

Germination  is  earlier,  growth  quicker,  a  better  root  system  de- 
velops, and  the  trees  are  easier  to  dig  when  grown  in  sandy  rather 
than  in  clay  soils.  Good  drainage  is  also  more  easily  effected  in 
sandy  soils,  and  for  these  reasons  light  soils  are  ordinarily  preferable 
for  nursery  purposes.  Irrespective  of  its  nature,  the  land  should  be 
thoroughly  prepared  before  the  seed  is  planted.  The  soil  should  be 
fertile,  well  pulverized,  yet  firm.  The  nuts  should  be  planted  2  to 
3  inches  deep  and  8  to  12  inches  apart  in  rows  4  to  6  feet  apart  and 
covered  with  firmly  packed  soil.  A  top-dressing  of  leaf  mold  or 
other  light  compost,  1  or  2  inches  deep,  will  aid  greatly  in  keeping 
the  soil  mellow  and  moist. 

During  the  first  season  the  growth  of  the  pecan  is  confined  largely 
to  the  development  of  a  taproot,  which  is  usually  from  three  to  five 


PECAN   CULTURE.  7 

times  the  length  of  the  top.  In  ordinary  seasons  the  growth  above 
ground  will  not  be  more  than  6  to  12  inches. 

A  method  sometimes  practiced  is  to  plant  from  three  to  six  nuts 
at  the  place  where  the  tree  is  to  stand  in  the  orchard,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  later  budding  or  grafting  the  best  seedling  and  removing 
all  others.  Those  who  advocate  this  method  do  so  on  the  ground  that 
to  cut  the  taproot,  as  is  customary  in  digging  trees  from  the  nursery, 
is  detrimental  to  the  tree  and  that  a  great  saving  of  labor  will  be 
accomplished  by  not  having  to  dig  and  transplant  the  trees. 

In  actual  practice,  however,  planting  the  seed  in  place  rarely  proves 
satisfactory  and  is  not  recommended.  Some  of  the  reasons  why  it  is 
unsuccessful  are:  (1)  The  young  trees  while  but  a  few  inches  tall  are 
exceedingly  difficult  to  protect  from  injury  by  careless  workmen 
when  engaged  in  caring  for  such  other  crops  as  may  be  growing  be- 
tween the  rows.  (2)  It  frequently  happens  that  none  of  the  resulting 
seedlings  develop  into  suitable  stock  for  budding  or  grafting.  (3) 
There  is  always  a  wide  range  in  the  length  of  time  required  for  seed- 
lings, even  from  the  same  parentage  and  under  the  same  conditions,  to 
attain  the  proper  size  for  propagation  purposes,  and  as  a  result  the 
orchards  so  developed  show  a  most  undesirable  lack  of  uniformity. 
(4)  Transplanting  tends  to  encourage  the  development  of  a  fibrous 
root  system  and  is  therefore  a  benefit  to  the  tree  rather  than  a  detri- 
ment. 

Planting  seed  in  place  has  been  extensively  employed  by  the 
growers  of  Persian  walnuts  in  the  State  of  California.  Regarding 
it,  however,  the  authors  of  a  bulletin  on  the  subject  of  walnut  culture * 
say  "  without  reservation"  that  "  in  no  instance  "  do  they  know  of  this 
method  proving  "  practical  or  satisfactory." 

COMPARISON  OF  BUDDED  AND  GRAFTED  TREES. 

The  pecan  does  not  reproduce  itself  true  to  seed ;  it  must  be  budded 
or  grafted  the  same  as  are  apples,  peaches,  oranges,  and  other  fruits. 
The  point  of  union  between  the  stock  and  the  scion  should  be  at  least 
10  inches  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  as  it  has  been  observed  that 
trees  having  lower  points  of  union  are  more  often  injured  or  killed 
during  severe  winters  than  are  those  with  points  of  union  well  above 
the  ground.  As  the  bud  is  usually  inserted  10  inches  or  more  above 
ground  and  as  grafts  are  usually  below  the  surface,  budded  trees  are 
preferred  by  most  planters.2 

1  Smith,  II.  E.,  Smith,  C.  O.,  and  Ramsey,  II.  J.     Walnut  culture  in  California.     Walnut 
blight.      Oil.  Agr.   Kxp.   Sta.  Bui.  231,  p.  211.      1912. 

2  Nurserymen  find  grafting  to  be  more  economical  of  labor  than  budding,  as  it  la  usually 
performed   during   the  winter  at  a   time   when   labor  is   plentiful  and   cheap.     For   this 
reason  grafted  trees  are  quite  as  common  in  the  market  as  budded  trees. 


FARMERS*   BULLETIN   "700. 


CLEFT  GRAFTING. 

One  form  or  another  of  cleft  grafting  has  been  longer  employed 
as  a  means  of  propagating  the  pecan  than  budding.  It  is  performed 
either  during  the  late  winter  months,  just  as  the  buds  begin  to  swell, 

or  very  early  in  the 
growing  period.  At 
that  time  the  upward 
flow  of  sap  is  most 
rapid  and  the  union 
will  be  formed  most 
quickly.  Scions  for 


FIG.  2. — A  tool  specially  designed  for  cleft  grafting. 


grafting  of  all  kinds 
should  be  selected 
from  the  growth  of  the  previous  season.  Terminal  twigs  were  for- 
merly almost  exclusively  used  and  are  still  preferred  by  some  propa- 
gators, but  as  the  bud  at  the  end  of  the  branch  rarely  produces  a 
strong  shoot,  ordinarily  drying  up  and  falling  off  instead,  terminal 
twigs  are  no  longer  used  to  a  large  extent. 
A  sharp,  fine-tooth  saw,  a  sharp  grafting 
knife,  a  specially  devised  grafting  tool  (fig. 
2),  a  short-handled  wooden  mallet  (fig.  3),  a 
quantity  of  raffia  and  grafting  \vax  or  graft- 
ing cloth,  and  a  number  of  scions  constitute 
the  necessary  equipment  for  cleft  grafting. 
In  performing  the  operation  of  cleft  graft- 
ing, the  trunk  or  limb  of  the  tree  to  be 
grafted  (known  as  the  stock)  should  be  cut 
squarely  across  with  the  saw.  The  knife 
edge  of  the  grafting  tool  should  then  be 
placed  across  the  stock,  either  over  the  cen- 
ter or,  preferably,  to  one  side,  in  order  to 
avoid  the  pith,  and,  by  tapping  the  back  of 
the  tool  with  a  mallet,  split,  or,  better,  cut 
the  stock  to  a  depth  of  2  to  4  inches.  Re- 
move the  tool  and  pry  the  two  parts  of  the 
stock  apart  with  the  thick,  narrow  wedge 
projecting  from  the  back  of  the  grafting 
tool  at  the  extreme  end.  Prepare  the  scion  by  sharpening  its  lower 
end  with  the  grafting  knife  into  the  form  of  a  wedge  (fig.  4,  a  and 
6),  made  thicker  on  the  side  which  will  be  outermost  when  in  posi- 
tion (fig.  4,  c).  Insert  the  wedge  end  of  the  scion  in  the  cleft  of  the 
stock  so  that  the  inner  bark  (the  cambium  layer)  of  its  thick  side 
will  be  in  close  contact  with  that  of  the  stock.  The  scion  should  be 
pushed  into  the  cleft  until  the  cut  surface  of  the  stock  is  on  a  level 


FIG.  3. — A  inallet  for  use  in 
cleft  grafting. 


PECAN   CULTURE. 


9 


with  the  base  of  the  first  bud.  It  will  do  no  harm  if  it  goes  slightly 
deeper.  It  is  imperative  that  the  two  cambium  layers  be  brought 
together  as  closely  as  possible.  With  stocks  of  sufficient  size  a  second 
scion  may  be  similarly  placed  in  the  opposite  side  of  the  cleft.  Re- 


FJ(5  4. — Cleft  grafting.  Successive  steps  in  the  operation  :  a  and  ft,  Views  of  the  scion  ; 
c  cross  section  of  the  scion,  thicker  on  one  side ;  d,  the  scion  in  place  and  the  stock 
securely  tied  to  prevent  splitting ;  e,  the  union  covered  with  grafting  wax ;  f,  outer 
wrapping  securely  held  with  string. 

move  the  iron  wedge  from  the  middle  of  the  cleft  and  cover  the  cut 
surfaces,  including  the  tip  of  the  scions  (unless  terminal  shoots  have 
been  used),  with  specially  prepared  grafting  wax,  being  careful  not 
to  cover  the  buds.  If  the  stock  is  weak  and  inclined  to  split  further 
after  the  wedge  has  been  removed,  it  should  be  tightly  wound  with 
11431°— Bull.  700—16 2 


10  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  Too. 

several  wrappings  of  a  stout,  rather  coarse  material  before  the  wax 
is  applied.  Where  a  large  amount  of  grafting  is  to  be  done,  the  best 
as  well  as  the  cheapest  material  for  wrapping  is  raffia,  which  can  be 
obtained  from  dealers  in  nursery  supplies.  For  propagation  on  a 
small  scale  cotton  warp,  strips  of  old  muslin,  or  similar  material  will 
answer  fully  as  well. 

FORMULAS  FOR  GRAFTING  WAX. 

The  following  formulas  for  grafting  wax  will  be  found  satis- 
factory : 

1.  Mix  together  thoroughly  4  parts  (by  weight)  of  rosin,  2  parts  of  beeswax, 
and  1  part  of  tallow. 

2.  A  harder  wax  for  use.  in  warm  weather  is  made  of  the  following :  Rosin, 
4  pounds ;  beeswax,  1  pound ;  raw  linseed  oil,  one-half  to  1  pint. 

To  prepare  either  formula,  melt  the  ingredients  together,  pour 
into  water,  and  pull.  Rub  the  hands  with  oil  or  grease  before  using, 
to  prevent  sticking.  In  using  the  second  formula  the  proportion  of 

011  will  depend  upon  the  season,  a  greater  quantity  being  necessary 
in  cool  weather.  , 

PREPARATION   OF  GRAFTING  CLOTH. 

Thin  calico  or  cheap  muslin  saturated  in  melted  wax,  drained,  and 
allowed  to  cool  makes  a  material  which  answers  both  as  a  wax  and  as 
a  binding  substance.  Before  immersing  in  the  liquid,  tear  the  cloth 
into  strips  12  to  18  inches  wide  or  of  whatever  width  may  be  most 
convenient.  When  thoroughly  saturated,  take  it  from  the  solution 
and  while  still  warm  remove  the  excess  of  hot  wax.  Various  methods 
of  accomplishing  this  removal  are  practiced.  On  a  small  scale  the 
cloth  may  be  wrung  out  with  the  hands,  but  when  larger  quantities 
of  material  are  to  be  made,  a  convenient  method  much  in  use  is  to 
draw  the  cloth  between  two  flat  pieces  of  wood.  A  simple  method  is 
certain  to  suggest  itself  to  any  ingenious  operator. 

When  grafting  cloth  of  the  proper  consistency  is  used  raffia  will 
be  unnecessary,  as  the  properly  prepared  material  carefully  wrapped 
holds  itself  in  place  without  being  tied. 

CARE  OF  CLEFT  GRAFTS. 

Obviously,  two  scions  placed  in  one  cleft  double  the  chance  of 
success.  With  an  ordinary  wrapping  of  waxed  cloth,  further  atten- 
tion to  the  graft  itself  will  not  be  needed.  If  wound  with  stout 
material,  the  bandages  should  be  severed  as  soon  as  growth  has 
begun,  when  the  weaker  of  the  two  scions  should  be  cut  away.  If  both 
scions  are  allowed  to  remain,  the  formation  of  a  fork  between  the 
two  will  be  inevitable  and  splitting  will  be  very  likely  to  follow. 
A  single  scion  affords  a  much  better  opportunity  for  the  development 


PECAN   CULTURE. 


11 


of  a  symmetrical  head,  and  there  is  less  danger  of  crowding  than 

when  two  scions  are  left. 

NURSERY  WHIP  GRAFTING. 

The  operation  of  whip  grafting  is  usually  performed  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  dormant  season  at  any  point  on  the  trunk  from 
immediately  below 
the  surface  to  several 
inches  underground. 
For  this  method  of 
propagation  the  stock 
and  the  scion  should 
be  of  very  nearly  the 
same  size,  preferably 
not  more  than  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  in 
diameter  nor  smaller 
than  a  lead  pencil. 
With  the  knife  held 
so  as  to  make  an  up- 
ward stroke,  cut  the 
stock  entirely  across 
at  a  long  angle,  as 
shown  at  1,  figure  5. 
At  about  one  -  third 
the  distance  from  the 
upper  end  of  the  cut 
make  an  incision  par- 
allel with  the  grain,  as 
shown  at  2,  figure  5. 
Cut  the  scion  at  as 
nearly  the  same  angle 
as  possible  and  make 
a  similar  incision  in 
the  cut  surface  one- 
third  the  distance 
from  the  upper  end 
of  the  cut,  as  shown 
at  3,  figure  5.  Push 
the  cut  surfaces  to- 

, ,          .  i  FIG    5  — Whip  grafting.     Early  steps  In  the  operation  :  a 

gether  in  such  a  way       and  ^  Front  and  side  views  of  both  stock  and  scion 

properly  cut ;  c,  stock  and  scion  In  position  and  ready 
for  wrapping. 

cision  will  be  crowded  into  the  groove  made  by  the  incision  in  the 
stock,  as  shown  at  4,  figure  5.  Bind  the  two  parts  together  with  raffia 
or  other  material,  as  shown  in  figure  6  at  a  (not  as  appears  at  6),  and 
pack  firmly  with  earth.  The  use  of  wax  is  not  necessary. 


that  the  tongue  of  the 
scion  made  bv  the  in- 


12 


FARMERS'  BULLETIN  700. 


CARE  OF  WHIP  GRAFTS. 

Young  trees  worked  by  the  whip-graft  method  will  require  little 
subsequent  attention  other  than  pruning  and  cultivation.  While 
staking  as  a  support  to  the  union  is  not  necessary,  in  ordinary  cases 

the  use  of  stakes  will 
later  be  required  to  in- 
sure erect  growth.  It 
will  be  unnecessary  to 
cut  the  bands,  as  with 
cleft  grafts,  as  the 
moisture  of  the  ground 
will  cause  the  wrapping 
material  to  decay  in  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks. 

ANNULAR  BUDDING. 

Budding  is  more  eco- 
nomical of  propagating 
wood  than  is  grafting, 
as  a  single  bud  of  the 
variety  tobe  reproduced 
answers  the  same  pur- 
pose in  budding  that  is 
served  by  a  scion  with 
two  or  three  buds  upon 
it  in  grafting.  Bud- 
ding permitstheipropa- 
gator  to  do  a  part  of 
his  work  during  the 
growing  season,  while 
grafting  must  be  done 
at  a  season  when  the 
scions  are  yet  dormant 
but  just  as  the  stock  is 
starting  into  growth. 

FIG.  6. — Whip  grafting.  Later  steps  in  the  operation  :  a,  It  IS  probable  that 
Proper  method  of  tying ;  6,  improper  method  of  tying ;  more  pecan  trees  have 
c,  one  year's  growth  following  a  successful  union.  ..  , 

been     propagated     by 

annular  budding,  with  its  modifications,  than  by  all  other  methods 
of  propagation  combined.  The  process  is  also  known  as  "ring" 
and  "  flute "  budding.  It  is  performed  during  the  midsummer 
months  at  such  time  as  the  bark  is  found  to  slip  (peel)  most  readily. 
In  some  seasons  this  period  may  be  very  brief,  lasting  only  a  few 


PECAN   CULTURE. 


13 


clays,  while  in  other  years  the  time  during  which  annular  budding 
may  successfully  be  performed  extends  over  a  period  of  several 
months.  In  the  latitude  of  southern  Georgia  it  is  not  uncommon 


FIG.  7. — A  metal  tool  specially  designed  for  use  in  annular  budding. 

for  this  method  to  be  employed  from  as  early  as  May  10  until  late 
in  July  or  even  in  August.  For  the  earliest  budding,  bud  sticks 
cut  while  dormant  and  held  in  storage  must  be  used.  The  first- 


FIG.  g. —  A  tool  with  wooden  handle  and  steel  blades  specially  designed  for  use  in  annular 

budding. 

formed  buds  of  the  current  season's  growth  may  be  used  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  summer. 

Annular  budding  consists  in  transferring  a  ring  of  bark  cut  from 
a  bud  stick1  of  the  desired  variety  to  which  a  bud  is  attached  to 

the  trunk  or  branch 
of  another  tree,  to 
take  the  place  of  a 
similar  ring  of  bark 
previously  removed. 
Specially  designed 
tools,  such  as  are 
shown  in  figures  7,  8,  and  9,  have  been  devised  for  the  purpose  of 
cutting  the  rings.  Two  ordinary  propagating  knives  having  single 
blades  may  be  fastened  together  and  made  to  answer  the  pur- 

1  The  bud  stick  is  a  branch,  usually  about  2  feet  In  length,  cut  from  a  tree  of  the 

variety  to  be  propagated. 


FIG.  9. — Another  type  of  metal  tool  specially  designed  for 
use  in  annular  budding. 


14 


FARMERS     BULLETIN   700. 


pose,  but  they  must  be  securely  held  together  or  they  will  not  work 
well.  Cut  a  ring  of  bark  from  the  stock  with  one  of  the  tools,  slit 
it  with  a  single-bladed  knife,  and  peel  it  off.  Remove  a  similar 
ring  carrying  a  dormant  bud  from  the  bud  stick.  The  bark  of  the 

bud  stick  should  be 
slit  on  the  side  oppo- 
site the  bud.  Imme- 
diately place  this 
ring  in  the  space  left 
by  removing*  the  bark 
from  the  stock  and 
wrap  at  once  with 
waxed  cloth,  taking 
care  not  to  cover  the 
bud  (fig.  10). 

PATCH  BUDDING. 

When  the  annular 
method  is  used  it  is 
necessary  that  the 
stock  and  scion  be  of 
nearly  the  same  size. 
If  the  bud  stick  is 
slightly  larger  than 
the  stock  a  portion 
of  the  bark  to  which 
the  bud  is  attached 
may  be  cut  away,  so 
that  the  tAvo  ends  of 
the  ring  just  meet 
around  the  stock. 

than        the 

cfrin  nf  hnrlr 
St 


a 


FIG.  10.  —  Annular  budding,     a,  Bud  stick  from  which  the  bud 

has  been  removed  ;  b,  the  bud  ready  for  insertion  In  the  Smaller 

matrix  of  the  stock  ;  c,  the  stock  ready  to  receive  the  bud  ;  ofnrlr 

d,  the  bud  after  being  placed  in  position  and  carefully  S1    CK' 

wrapped  ;   c,  growth  taking  place,   the  wrapping  having  on  the  latter  may  be 

been  removed;  f,  growth  from  the  bud  supported  by  being  i    ^     •        ^oifinn     tn 

tied  to  the  stock    (g)   above  the  union.     Note  'the  scars  ie  .    w 

above  the  union,  where  the  buds  were  removed  in  order  complete     the      ring. 

In    actual    practice, 

rings  which  extend  only  partly  around  the  stock  are  most  com- 
monly used.  This,  however,  is  not  true  annular  budding,  because 
the  use  of  a  band  of  bark  which  extends  only  part  way  around 
the  stock  is  merely  a  patch.  It  is  to  this  modification  of  the  an- 
nular method  that  the  term  "  patch  budding  "  has  been  applied. 
A  tool  specially  designed  for  patch  budding  is  illustrated  in  fig- 
ure 11.  It  consists  of  four  thin  steel  blades  fastened  together 


PECAN   CULTURE. 


15 


in  the  form  of  a  rectangle.  The  tool  is  used  as  a  punch  and  cuts 
a  segment  of  bark  from  the  stock  and  from  the  bud  stick  five-eighths 
of  an  inch  wide  by  1  inch  long. 

A  fair  degree  of  success  in  patch  budding  by  using  an  ordinary 
single-bladed  budding  knife  is  reported  by  skillful  operators.  The 
method  followed  is  to  cut  from  the  bud  stick  a  patch  of  bark  about 
half  an  inch  in  width  by  three  times  as  long,  in  the  center  of  which 
is  the  bud.  The  piece  of  bark  so  outlined  is  removed  from  the  bud 
stick  and  laid  over  that  of  the  stock.  Using  this  as  a  pattern,  in- 
cisions are  then  made  around  it  in  the  bark  of 
the  stock.  The  pattern  is  then  removed,  the 
section  of  the  bark  outlined  in  the  stock  is 
lifted,  and  the  bark  from  the  bud  stick  is  put 
in  its  place. 

Some  varieties  of  the  pecan  are  more  difficult 
to  bud  successfully  than  others ;  with  such  vari- 
eties the  annular  method  or  a  near  approach 
to  it  is  generally  most  successful.  With  the 
average  sorts,  however,  the  tendency  among  the 
more  experienced  nurserymen  is  much  inclined 
to  favor  the  patch  method,  which  may  be  per- 
formed with  any  of  the  tools  illustrated  in 
figures  7,  8,  9,  and  11. 

The  buds  best  suited  to  annular  or  patch  bud- 
ding are  those  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  at  the 
base  of  the  current  season's  growth.  It  is  well 
worth  the  time  required  to  clip  the  leaves  away, 
close  to  the  buds,  10  days  or  2  weeks  before  the 
bud  is  wanted,  for  by  so  doing  the  wound  will 
heal  over  before  the  bud  is  needed ;  otherwise,  a  serious  lessening  of 
the  vigor  of  the  bud  through  evaporation  may  take  place. 

CARE  OF  ANNULAR  AND  PATCH  BUDS. 

In  annular  budding  the  transplanted  or  substituted  ring  of  bark 
sometimes  unites  with  the  stock  promptly,  permitting  the  upward 
How  of  sap  to  proceed  without  much  interference.  When  this  is  the 
case,  the  top  should  be  carefully  primed  back  sufficiently  to  force 
the  proper  amount  of  sap  into  the  bud  to  cause  it  to  swell.  This 
pruning  should  be  done  with  great  care,  as  surplus  sap  is  likely  to 
accumulate  under  the  bark  of  the  new  bud  and  cause  it  to  decay  or, 
as  it  is  termed,  to  "  drown  "  the  bud.  If  the  tree  is  young  and  the 
growth  has  been  rapid,  precaution  should  be  exercised  in  cutting 
back  the  top,  in  order  not  to  expose  the  tender  bark  to  the  heat  of  the 
sun.  Sufficient  foliage  should  be  left  to  serve  as  a  protection  from 
the  hot  sun.  If  the  supply  of  sap  be  limited,  it  will  be  well  to  cut 


FIG.  11. — A  metal  tool  spe- 
cially designed  for  use 
in  patch  budding. 


16 


FARMEBS'   BULLETIN   700. 


out  all  buds  in  the  top  of  the  stock.  All  dormant  buds,  both  above 
and  below  the  new  bud,  should  be  rubbed  off  as  soon  as  they  begin 
to  swell.  The  wrapping  about  the  new  bud  must  be  cut  as  soon  as 
growth  begins.  As  the  union  made  by  a  bud  with  a  stock  in  any 
method  of  budding  is  at  first  merely  the  union  of  two  pieces  of 

bark  find  not  of  wood, 
it  is  necessarily  weak 
during  the  first  few 
months.  To  avoid  the 
danger  of  breaking 
out  at  the  bud,  the 
new  growth  made 
from  the  bud  should 
be  provided  with  a 
support.  For  this 
purpose  a  temporary 
support  may  be  pro- 
vided by  leaving  a 
stub  of  the  original 
top  8  or  10  inches 
long,  entirely  denuded 
of  foliage  (fig.  10,  #), 
to  which  the  new  top 
may  be  tied.  When 
no  longer  needed  the 
dead  stub  may  be  cut 
away  close  to  the 
union.  However, 
stakes  will  be  required 
for  grafted  trees  and 
for  early-budded  trees. 
As  in  the  former  case, 

The  bud  stick  :   the  Operation  will  make 
ft  impossible   to   leave 

a  stub  on  the  stock,  and 
in  the  latter  the  new  growth  will  soon  reach  beyond  the  stub  which 
might  be  left. 

CHIP  BUDDING. 

Propagation  by  chip  budding  is  performed  in  the  early  spring  or 
late  in  the  dormant  period.  Because  of  being  done  at  this  season 
it  is  also  known  as  "  dormant  "  budding.  With  a  sharp  knife  a 
downward  cut  is  made  below  the  bud  on  the  bud  stick  to  a  depth 
of  perhaps  one-eighth  of  an  inch.  Raising  the  knife  to  a  point 
above  the  bud,  a  long  downward  cut  is  made,  which  meets  the  lower 


9 


a 


FIG.  12.—  Chip  or  "  dormant  "  budding, 

b,  the  bud  ready  for  insertion  ;  c,  the  bud  inserted  in  the 
matrix  of  the  stock  •  d,  the  bud  securely  tied  in  place. 


PECAN   CULTURE.  17 

end  of  the  first  cut,  and  the  bud  is  removed  with  a  chip  attached,  as 
shown  in  figure  12.  A  similar  chip  is  removed  from  the  stock  and 
the  desired  bud  is  put  in  its  place.  After  setting  the  bud  it  should 
be  carefully  wrapped  with  such  material  as  will  hold  the  cambium 
layers  of  the  stock  and  the  bud  firmly  together  on  at  least  one  side. 
Subsequent  treatment  similar  to  that  already  described  for  annular 
and  patch  budding  should  be  given. 

LENGTH  OF  TIME  TREES  SHOULD  REMAIN  IN  THE  NURSERY. 

In  the  Gulf  Coast  States  seed  nuts  are  ordinarily  planted  during 
the  months  of  January  and  February.  With  conditions  favorable 
for  rapid  growth,  a  large  percentage  of  the  young  seedlings  should 
be  large  enough  to  graft  in  12  months  and  should  be  ready  for  trans- 
planting by  the  end  of  the  second  season.  If  they  are  to  be  budded 
they  should  reach  sufficient  size  for  that  purpose  by  the  middle  of 
the  second  season  or  when  at  the  age  of  18  months.  Another  period 
of  equal  length  will  be  required  for  the  trees  to  attain  the  desired 
size  for  transplanting.  Under  exceptionally  favorable  conditions 
grafted  trees  will  be  ready  for  planting  in  the  orchard  two  years 
from  the  time  of  planting  the  seed,  as  compared  with  three  years 
for  budded  trees  under  ordinary  circumstances.  In  actual  practice, 
however,  comparatively  few  trees  attain  sufficient  size  for  grafting 
until  the  end  of  the  second  season;  the  greater  amount  of  grafting, 
therefore,  is  performed  on  roots  that  are  at  least  two  years  old. 

THE  PRESERVATION  OF  NUT-BEARING  FORESTS. 

The  value  of  pecan-producing  forests  has  been  recognized  to  such 
an  extent  that  occasionally  enterprising  owners  have  taken  steps  not 
only  to  prevent  further  destruction  of  such  forests,  but  also  to 
increase  their  productiveness  by  a  careful  and  systematic  elimination 
of  all  unprofitable  trees,  so  as  to  give  the  advantage  to  those  pro- 
ducing superior  nuts. 

This  work  is  well  worthy  of  encouragement,  but  before  under- 
taking it  the  owner  should  consider  that  it  will  mean  the  bringing 
of  the  forest  trees  into  orchard  form  and  that  the  conditions  must 
be  made  as  nearly  like  those  of  an  orchard  as  possible,  if  orchard 
returns  are  to  be  realized.  He  must  rid  himself  of  any  misconcep- 
tion that  he  may  have  to  the  effect  that,  being  a  native  of  the  forest, 
the  pecan  tree  will  do  better  under  forest  conditions  than  under 
cultivation.  He  must  also  realize  that  the  transformation  of  a 
forest  in  this  manner  will  involve  considerable  time  and  exprnso 
and  that  unless  carefully  followed  up  it  will  not  become  a  profitable 
venture. 

As  clearing  the  forests  too  suddenly  will  tend  to  expose  the  remain- 
ing trees  to  injury  by  high  winds,  the  thinning-out  process  should  be 


18  FARMERS '  BULLETIN   100. 

brought  about  gradually.  The  least  desirable  pecan  trees  should  be 
marked  during  the  harvest  period  and  subsequently  removed.  In 
selecting  the  trees  to  be  kept,  those  with  low  heads  should,  as  far  as 
possible,  be  given  preference,  and  tall  spindling  trees  should  be  so 
pruned  as  to  lower  the  head.  Broken  and  weak  limbs  should  be  re- 
moved, so  as  to  insure  the  symmetry  and  compactness  of  the  tree,  but 
care  should  be  taken  in  pruning  in  order  not  to  leave  to  heal  over 
larger  wounds  than  may  be  necessary.  A  coat  of  paint  or  wax  should 
be  applied  to  all  large  cut  surfaces.  As  the  new  tops  begin  to 
assume  definite  form  in  later  years,  further  improvement  by  pruning 
should  continue,  but  this  remodeling  should  be  done  so  as  to  cut  as 
few  large  limbs  as  possible. 

In  order  to  secure  the  best  results  from  a  native  pecan  grove  it 
may  be  advisable  to  top-work  a  portion  or  all  of  the  trees.  If  so, 
scions  of  the  best  standard  sorts  grown  in  the  locality  should  be 
selected.  If,  however,  such  scions  are  not  available  or  if  the  forest 
is  in  a  locality  where  standard  sorts  have  not  demonstrated  their 
adaptability,  scions  may  be  selected  from  the  best  individual  trees 
in  the  forest  itself. 

In  selecting  the  trees  to  be  retained  it  is  best  to  choose  those  least 
affected  by  disease,  those  with  nuts  which  are  uniform  in  character 
and  quantity,  those  which  bear  early  and  regularly,  and  those  which 
shed  the  nuts  promptly  when  mature.  Vacant  spaces  in  the  wood 
lot  should  be  filled  by  planting  nuts  from  the  best  trees,  or,  better, 
by  planting  budded  or  grafted  trees  of  suitable  varieties.  The 
natural  grove  should  be  given  cultivation,  irrigation  if  necessary, 
and  fertilization  where  necessary,  the  same  as  an  orchard  of  nursery- 
grown  trees.  A  pecan  forest  (fig.  13)  near  San  Antonio,  Tex.,  illus- 
trates what  can  be  accomplished  by  such  treatment. 

TOP-WORKING. 

The  importance  of  top-working  as  a  means  of  changing  the  tops 
of  pecan  and  other  nut  or  fruit  trees  can  hardly  be  overestimated. 
By  this  method  seedlings  and  trees  of  unsatisfactory  varieties  may 
be  quickly  transformed  into  bearing  trees  of  more  valuable  kinds, 
new  varieties  may  be  hastened  into  bearing,  untried  sorts  may  be 
quickly  tested  in  new  localities,  several  sorts  may  be  tested  on  one 
tree,  and  varieties  grafted  to  uncongenial  stocks  may  be  given  a 
new  trial  by  being  transferred  to  other  trees.  Seedling  orchards 
scattered  over  the  entire  pecan  area,  as  well  as  wild  trees,  both  in 
the  forest  and  in  the  open,  are  being  transformed  in  this  manner. 

TREES  SUITABLE  FOR  TOP- WORKING. 

Top-working  can  be  successfully  done  on  either  the  pecan  or  the 
hickory,  and  one  may  be  grafted  on  the  other.  But,  notwithstand- 


PECAN   CULTURE. 


19 


ing  the  fact  that  both  the  pecan  and  hickory  belong  to  the  same 
botanical  family  as  the  walnut  and  the  butternut,  the  relationship 
is  too  distant  to  permit  the  successful  grafting  of  the  pecan  or 
hickory  upon  stocks  of  either  the  walnut  or  butternut.  The  grafting 
of  the  hickory  is  discussed  under  another  heading. 

It  is  possible  to  top-work  pecan  trees  of  practically  any  size  or 
age,  but  the  advisability  of  attempting  so  to  transform  giant  trees 
or  those  that  have  begun  to  deteriorate  with  age  is  very  doubtful. 
Top-working  is  of  greatest  value  to  healthy  trees  under  30  years 
of  age. 


FIG.  13. — A  pecan  forest  near  San  Antonio,  Tex.,  in  process  of  transformation  into  a  grove 
by  the  elimination  of  all  trees  other  than  the  most  desirable  pecans.  Note  the  distance 
between  the  trees. 

HOW  TO  TOP- WORK. 

Top-working  is  done  while  the  tree  is  in  a  dormant  condition. 
At  that  time  little  danger  of  killing  the  trees  by  severe  pruning  is 
incurred.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  branches  which  should  be 
left  to  carry  on  the  vegetative  processes  of  the  tree  while  the  develop- 
ment of  the  new  top  is  in  progress,  the  top  should  be  cut  back  to 
the  point  at  which  it  is  desired  the  new  head  should  be  formed. 
Usually  three  or  four  of  the  lower  limbs  are  left  for  this  purpose. 
If  a  large  number  of  trees  are  to  be  worked  over,  an  elevated  plat- 
form of  convenient  height,  mounted  on  a  wagon,  will  prove  a  great 


20 


FARMERS     BULLETIN   700. 


convenience  to  the  operator.  If  the  limbs  to  be  cut  are  large,  wind  a 
heavy  chain  about  the  branch  immediately  below  the  place  of  cut- 
ting, in  order  to  obviate  the  danger  of  splitting.  A  shallow  cut  on 
the  lower  side  of  the  limb  will  further  tend  to  reduce  this  danger. 
Trunks  more  than  6  inches  in  diameter  heal  more  slowly  than  those 
of  smaller  size;  whenever  avoidable  the  larger  trunks  should  not 
be  cut.  Figure  14  illustrates  a  tree  properly  cut  back,  and  figure  15 
shows  one  which  was  cut  back  too  severely.  The  top  may  be  cleft 
grafted  as  it  is  cut  back,  or  new  growth  may  be  allowed  to  start,  to 
be  budded  in  midseason  by  one  or  another  of  the  methods  above  de- 
scribed. Three  healthy  scions  or  buds'  properly  located  will  be 


FIG.  14. — Seedling  tree  cut  back  during  the  dormant  season  to  induce  new  growth  for  tor 

budding. 

enough  to  insure  a  symmetrically  formed  top  on  a  small  tree.  As 
soon  as  the  new  growth  reaches  sufficient  size  to  utilize  the  entire 
flow  of  sap,  the  remaining  branches  of  the  original  top  should  be 
removed.  Figure  16  shows  a  7-year-old  tree  which  was  cut  back  in 
February,  1908,  and  budded  August  10  of  the  same  season,  the 
lower  branches  of  which  were  removed  September  1,  1909.  The 
four  spurs  below  the  branches  indicate  the  points  at  which  the 
branches  were  cut  away.  These  spurs  were  later  pruned  closely 
during  the  dormant  season. 

Figure  17  shows  a  large  well-shaped  tree  near  Morgan  City,  La., 
top-worked  when  about  25  years  old  and  photographed  six  or  seven 


PECAN   CULTURE. 


21 


years  later.  The  points  at  which  the  grafts  were  made  are  indicated 
by  the  right-angular  unions,  more  or  less  distinct  in  each  branch.  An 
objection  to  top-working  large  trees  lies  in  the  fact  that  the  new  head 
must  be  formed  considerably  higher  than  the  old,  with  the  danger 
that  it  will  be  too  high.  This  is  especially  true  with  varieties  such 
as  the  Stuart,  Jewett,  and  others  which  are  inclined  to  upright 
growth.  If  the  original  top  is  already  high,  it  is  generally  best  to 
cut  back  and  graft  the  lower  branches  a  year  before  cutting  away  the 
central  part  of  the  top.  Enough  of  the  top  may  be  cut  back  at  the 
same  time  to  force  a  liberal  supply  of 
sap  into  the  graft.  The  sap  can  not  be 
directed  to  the  lower  limbs  in  this  man- 
ner if  the  higher  limbs  are  grafted  first, 
for  in  that  case  pruning  will  be  fairly 
certain  to  disturb  permanently  the  sym- 
metry of  the  new  top. 

TOP-WORKING  THE  HICKORY  WITH 
THE  PECAN. 

Because  of  their  close  relationship 
scions  and  buds  of  the  pecan  readily 
unite  with  stocks  of  the  hickories.  The 
advantages  sought  in  such  operations 
are  the  quick  introduction  of  the  pecan 
into  localities  to  which  it  is  not  com- 
mon but  where  hickories  abound,  the 
conversion  of  trees  bearing  inferior  nuts 
into  desirable  ones,  and  the  possibility 
of  discovering  a  stock  for  the  pecan  bet- 
ter suited  to  a  certain  locality  than  those 
ordinarily  used.  A  number  of  species  of 
hickory  are  known  to  have  been  tried. 
In  southern  Louisiana  several  trees  of 
the  water  hickory  (Hicoria  aquatica]  in  standing  water  produced  a 
healthy,  strong  pecan  top,  but  later  died  outright,  while  others  of  the 
same  species  not  top-worked  remained  alive  under  the  same  condi- 
tions; another  of  these  trees  taken  up  and  transplanted  to  drier  land 
made  a  good  growth  and  according  to  latest  reports  was  bearing  satis- 
factorily. In  Florida,  where  the  mockernut  (Hicoria  alba)  is  com- 
mon, the  pecan  has  been  found  to  unite  readily  with  it  and  to  make  a 
rapid  growth  until  the  diameter  of  the  pecan  becomes  equal  to  that 
of  the  hickory,  after  which  it  grows  much  more  slowly.  Other 


FIG.  15. — A  seedling  pecan  tree  too 
severely  cut  back  for  top-working. 


22 


hickories  have  been  tried,  but  while  the  early  growth  is  generally 
reported  to  be  strong  and  rapid  very  few  have  thus  far  proved  satis- 
factorily fruitful. 


FIG.  16. — A  7-year-old  pecan  tree  top-worked  with  Stuart  scions.  The  seedling  top  was 
cut  back  in  February,  the  buds  were  inserted  August  10,  and  the  lower  branches  re- 
moved September  1  of  the  next  year.  Note  how  the  head  of  the  tree  has  been  elevated. 

As  hickory  trees  top-worked  with  pecans  usually  stand  in  out-of- 
the-way  places,  not  uncommonly  in  wood  lots,  it  is  still  doubtful 


PECAN   CULTURE. 


23 


whether  the  reason  for  unfruitf ulness  is  entirely  due  to  the  influence 
of  the  hickory  stock  or  to  the  lack  of  cultivation. 


FIG  17 pecan  tree  in  Morgan  City,  La.,  top-worked  when  about  25  years  old  and  photo- 
graphed 6  or  7  years  later.     A  very  well-shaped  tree,  although  headed  rather  high. 

PLANTING. 

TIME  AND  DISTANCE. 

Nursery  trees  are  usually  transplanted  to  their  permanent  orchard 
location  during  January  or  February.     Before  planting  the  trees, 


24  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  700. 

the  soil  should  be  put  in  good  condition  by  thorough  cultivation  and, 
if  necessary,  properly  drained. 

The  distance  for  planting  varies  in  different  localities.  In  the 
deep  alluvial  lands  of  Louisiana  and  the  Mississippi  Valley,  where 
it  is  expected  that  the  trees  will  attain  greater  size  than  when  grown 
in  the  lighter  soils  of  the  more  eastern  States,  pecans  are  now  being 
set  at  distances  varying  from  50  to  75  feet.  Some  planters,  having 
in  mind  the  idea  that  100  feet  will  be  the  most  suitable  distance 
when  the  trees  reach  maturity,  are  planting  at  50  feet,  with  the 
intention  of  removing  the  alternate  trees  as  soon  as  crowding  begins, 
leaving  them  eventually  100  feet  each  way. 

In  Georgia  a  distance  of  46  feet  and  8  inches  each  way  (20  trees 
to  the  acre)  was  adopted  for  some  years,  but  as  the  orchards  so  set 
approach  maturity  it  is  becoming  evident  that  a  considerably  greater 
space  would  have  been  better.  These  planters  now  agree  that  60  feet 
apart  (12  trees  to  the  acre)  is  not  too  great  a  distance. 

TREES  SUITABLE  FOR  PLANTING. 

As  has  been  explained,  nursery-grown  trees  are  usually  planted  at 
the  age  of  3  years.  While  sometimes  sold  as  though  graded  ac- 
cording to  age,  they  are  actually  graded  according  to  size.  If  sold 
under  the  age  grade  the  largest  trees  are  naturally  the  "  oldest."  For 
this  reason  it  is  much  more  satisfactory  to  buy  according  to  size, 
although  in  that  case  there  is  danger  of  slow-growing  stock  being 
worked  into  the  lot.  Within  reasonable  limits  a  nursery-grown 
pecan  tree  which  has  reached  a  given  size  in  a  given  length  of  time  is 
much  to  be  preferred  to  one  which  has  been  twice  as  long  in  attaining 
the  same  size.  It  is  natural  to  expect  that  the  rapidity  or  slowness  of 
growth  displayed  in  the  nursery  will  be  relatively  the  same  through- 
out the  life  of  the  tree.  For  this  reason  the  healthy  quick-growing 
trees  in  the  nursery  are  preferable  to  those  which  grow  slowly.  The 
standard  grades  of  pecan  stock  now  in  use  are  1  to  2  feet,  2  to  3 
feet,  3  to  4  feet,  4  to  5  feet,  and  5  to  7  feet,  these  measurements 
applying  to  the  top  only,  as  the  length  of  the  taproot  is  not  taken  into 
consideration.  Ordinarily,  trees  of  the  larger  sizes  are  much  to  be 
preferred,  although  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  extremely  large  trees 
(those  of  more  than  7  feet)  would  be  as  desirable  as  those  of  4  to  7 
feet. 

The  taproot,  which  it  was  once  thought  necessary  to  protect  in 
transplanting,  is  now  cut  off  about  2  feet  below  the  surface.  In  a 
nursery x  visited  during  the  fall  of  1910  a  tool  specially  designed  for 
the  purpose  was  being  used  in  cutting  off  the  taproot. 

1  The  Monticello  Nurseries,  Montlcello,  Fla. 


PECAN   CULTURE.  25 

Purchasers  of  nursery  stock  should  insist  that  the  trees  be  allowed 
to  remain  in  the  nursery  in  the  fall  until  all  growth  has  ceased  and 
the  foliage  has  fallen  normally.  The  early  autumn  demand  for 
trees  has  frequently  impelled  nurserymen  to  dig  a  great  portion  of 
their  trees  while  still  in  full  leaf.  At  that  season  neither  the  top  nor 
the  root  system  is  in  a  condition  to  be  disturbed.  The  cutting  away 
of  foliage,  branches,  and  roots  while  the  sap  is  still  in  circulation  re- 
sults in  a  heavy  shock,  which  is  injurious  and  wholly  unnecessary. 
It  is  therefore  highly  important  that  every  buyer  of  southern  varie- 
ties of  pecan  trees  grown  in  the  South  should  insist  that  the  trees 
be  not  dug  until  the  leaves  have  dropped  naturally,  which  is  seldom 
earlier  than  the  middle  of  November.  With  northern  varieties  the 
situation  may  be  different,  as  the  wood  of  these  varieties  matures 
very  much  earlier.  However,  with  southern  varieties  grown  in  the 
South  it  would  be  better  for  the  trees  not  to  be  dug  from  the  nursery 
rows  before  the  last  of  November  in  any  season. 

SETTING  THE  TREES. 

Extreme  precaution  should  be  taken-  to  prevent  the  roots  from  be- 
coming dry.  They  should  be  kept  moist  and  carefully  covered  from 
the  time  they  are  dug  until  finally  set.  A  large  hole,  fully  twice  or 
three  times  the  size  actually  required  to  receive  the  roots,  should  be 
dug.  A  quantity  of  well-rooted  compost  or  nitrogenous  fertilizer 
placed  in  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  entirely  covered  with  earth  before 
setting  the  tree,  will  furnish  plant  food  during  subsequent  seasons 
and  tend  to  induce  a  deep  root  system.  The  immediate  contact  of 
the  roots  with  compost  or  fertilizer  of  any  kind  must  be  avoided. 
All  broken  parts  of  the  roots  and  all  lateral  branches  of  nursery- 
grown  trees  should  be  pruned  away.  Soaking  the  roots  in  a  bucket 
of  water  for  an  hour  or  two,  or  even  over  night,  gives  the  trees  a 
very  great  advantage.  The  trees  should  be  placed  in  the  hole  at 
about  the  same  depth  they  stood  in  the  nursery.  Spread  out  the 
roots  carefully  with  the  hands  and  pack  firmly  with  moist  surface 
soil  thoroughly  pulverized.  If  the  soil  is  dry,  it  should  be  drenched 
with  water  while  the  hole  is  being  filled. 

CULTIVATION. 

Satisfactory  tree  growth  and  bearing  qualities  can  be  expected  only 
in  return  for  careful  attention  to  cultivation  and  orchard  manage- 
ment. In  addition  to  being  unsatisfactory  in  bearing,  neglected  trees 
are  likely  to  be  subject  to  attacks  of  fungous  diseases  and  insect  pests. 

A  common  practice  in  the  Southern  States  is  that  of  renting  the 
land  betAveen  the  rows  to  tenants,  reserving  a  narrow  strip  on  either 


side  of  the  row  to  be  cultivated  and  fertilized  by  the  owner.  As  the 
trees  approach  bearing  age  this  strip  is  widened  until  all  the  land 
is  included,  after  which  cover  crops  only  are  grown  between  the  rows. 
A  good  many  soils  in  which  pecan  trees  are  now  being  planted  are  of 
such  low  fertility  that  they  should  be  replenished  with  plant  food 
rather  than  further  impoverished  with  intercrops.  Of  the  crops 
being  grown  between  the  rows  cotton  and  corn  are  the  most  common, 
although  truck  crops  are  not  infrequent.  Legumes,  such  as  cowpeas. 
velvet  beans,1  lespedeza,  and  bur  clover,  are  most  commonly  used 
for  soiling  purposes. 

BEARING  AGE. 

It  is  not  unusual  for  trees  of  some  varieties  when  grown  under 
very  favorable  conditions  to  mature  a  few  nuts  by  the  end  of  the 
second  or  third  season  after  transplanting  from  the  nursery  to  their 
permanent  orchard  location.  A  few  nuts,  however,  can  not  be  counted 
a  crop.  It  is  not  improbable  that  such  early  bearing  is  detrimental 
to  the  vitality  of  the  trees.  As  a  general  thing,  unusual  precocity  of 
a  variety  closely  associates  itself  with  defectiveness  in  some  other  re- 
spect. The  Mobile,  for  example,  is  one  of  the  earliest  to  come  into 
bearing,  but  after -the  first  few  crops  a  very  high  percentage  of  the 
nuts  fail  to  develop  plump  kernels.  Oftentimes  the  kernel  will  be 
lacking  entirely.  Another  example  is  the  Teche,  which,  like  the 
Mobile,  begins  bearing  at  a  very  early  age,  but  which  is  inferior  in 
the  flavor  and  richness  of  its  kernel. 

As  a  general  rule  it  may  be  said  that  commercial  returns  are  not 
being  realized  in  less  than  10  to  12  years  from  the  time  of  planting 
the  trees. 

PRESENT  PRICES  OF  THE  NUTS. 

The  price  per  pound  paid  to  the  grower  of  wild  nuts  is  an  exceed- 
ingly variable  factor.  A  decade  and  a  half  ago  these  nuts  were  little 
in  use  except  at  holiday  times,  and  the  prices  to  the  producer  were 
such  that  but  a  small  portion  of  the  crop  was  actually  gathered,  3 
cents  a  pound  then  being  considered  a  fair  price. 

The  increased  consumption  since  that  time,  which,  without  doubt, 
is  largely  due  to  the  introduction  and  use  of  machines  for  cracking 
pecans,  has  caused  a  rise  in  price  to  a  maximum  of  25  cents  per  pound 
for  the  wild  nuts,  which  is  reported  to  have  been  reached  in  1912. 
The  average  price  is  probably  between  10  and  15  cents  per  pound. 

The  demand  for  pecans  of  the  named  varieties  which  has  been 
created  by  nurserymen,  fancy  confectioners,  tourists,  a  few  seedsmen, 

1PThe  velvet  bean  Is  a  remarkably  vigorous  grower,  and  special  precaution  should  be 
taken  to  prevent  it  from  running  over  the  young  pecan  trees,  causing  them  to  break  down 
with  the  weight  of  the  vines. 


CTTLTUfeE.  %*J 

and  real-estate  dealers  has  made  prices  of  1  to  3  cents  a  nut  not 
unusual. 

Increased  production  is  now  forcing  the  named  varieties  into  com- 
petition with  other  nuts  and  with  the  wild  product,  the  kernels  of 
which  may  be  bought  at  retail  at  from  60  to  90  cents  per  pound,  as  is 
evidenced  by  the  quotations  of  Schley  at  45  cents,  Van  Deman  and 
Delmas  at  40  cents,  Stuart  at  35  cents,  and  Alley  at  30  cents,  which 
were  made  during  the  fall  of  1914  by  Chicago  wholesalers  to  the 
trade.  It  appears  probable  that  further  declines  in  prices  will  follow 
during  the  next  few  years,  as  production  increases. 

MARKETING  PECANS. 

The  limited  production  of  pecans  thus  far  has  made  it  compara- 
tively easy  for  the  grower,  with  the  aid  of  the  express  and  mail-order 
service,  to  act  as  his  own  middleman.  He  will  probably  continue  to 
do  so  to  a  considerable  extent,  but  the  young  orchards  now  approach- 
ing maturity  promise  so  to  increase  the  production  in  the  very  near 
future  that  other  methods  of  marketing  with  vastly  greater  capacity 
must  soon  be  devised. 

Foreseeing  this,  a  small  group  of  growers  is  now  endeavoring  to 
organize  an  exchange,  patterned  after  the  exchanges  in  other  parts 
of  the  country.  These  growers  have  undertaken  to  develop  a  system 
whereby  prompt  disposal  of  the  product  may  be  assured  at  a  mini- 
mum of  expense  and,  subsequently,  to  enlarge  and  shorten  the  chan- 
nels between  the  places  of  production  and  those  of  consumption. 

The  individual  growers  have  already  accepted  the  pound  as  the 
standard  unit  of  measure,  but  as  yet  very  few  have  agreed  upon  a 
standard  package,  and  with  but  very  few  exceptions  none  have 
adopted  a  private  trade-mark. 

THE  SELECTION  OF  VARIETIES. 

No  factor  in  pecan  culture  is  of  greater  importance  than  the  se- 
lection of  varieties  for  planting.  Upon  it  alone  may  depend  the 
success  of  the  orchard.  The  following  general  suggestions  are  in- 
tended to  be  of  service  to  the  prospective  planter : 

1.  Ordinarily,  varieties  do  not  readily  adapt  themselves  to  soil 
and  climatic  conditions  differing  widely  from  those  common  to  their 
place  of  origin.1  Unless  varieties  have  already  demonstrated  their 

1  Evidence  of  this  statement  lies  in  the  fact  that  when  taken  to  the  more  humid  climate 
of  the  Eastern  States  a  number  of  the  leading  varieties  (including  San  Saba,  Sovereign, 
Kincaid,  and  Halbert)  which  originated  in  the  semiarid  portions  of  Texas  have  developed 
a  marked  degree  of  susceptibility  to  the  fungous  disease  known  as  pecan  scab.  Further- 
more, experience  thus  far  has  not  been  such  as  to  encourage  the  planting  of  eastern  varie- 
ties in  the  semiarid  portions  of  the  Southwestern  States  or  of  southern  varieties  in  the 
North  other  than  as  an  experiment  Northern  varieties  have  not  yet  been  tried  in  the 
South  to  any  great  extent. 


28  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  700. 

adaptability  to  the  soil  and  climatic  conditions  in  a  given  locality 
they  should  be  tested  experimentally  before  being  planted  commer- 
cially. 

2.  As  far  as  practicable,  varieties  which  have  proved  to  be  at  least 
fairly  resistant  to  fungous  diseases  and  insect  pests  should  be 
selected.1 

"  PAPERSHELL  "  PECANS. 

With  reference  to  the  pecan,  the  term  "  papershell "  has  been  ex- 
tended in  its  application  until  it  is  now  practically  without  signifi- 
cance. Originally  applied  to  those  types  of  pecans  having  such  thin 
shells  that  one  could  easily  be  cracked  when  two  were  crushed  to- 
gether in  one  hand,  the  term  during  recent  years  has  been  made  to 
include  all  cultivated  varieties,  many  of  which  have  fully  as  hard 
shells  as  the  average  wild  nuts.  Properly  speaking,  the  term  "  paper- 
shell  "  never  referred  to  a  particular  variety ;  its  correct  application 
has  been  only  with  reference  to  varieties  having  very  thin  shells. 

VARIETIES. 

Since  the  introduction  of  named  varieties  of  pecans,  which  may 
be  said  to  have  begun  about  1890,  approximately  100  different  sorts 
have  been  advertised  by  one  or  more  nurserymen.  Of  these,  many 
were  so  inferior  that  already  they  have  been  forgotten.  There  are 
other  sorts  which  because  of  their  inferiority  have  been  discarded  by 
the  leading  pecan  orchardists,  but  which  are  still  being  listed  by  cer- 
tain nurserymen.  There  are  still  other  sorts  which  have  been  tried 
in  but  a  limited  number  of  localities  and  which,  therefore,  are  too  new 
for  general  recommendation. 

There  are  a  number  of  standard  sorts  which  have  now  been  under 
test  in  a  sufficient  number  of  localities  and  whose  performance  has 
been  such  as  to  justify  their  recommendation  for  further  planting  in 
those  localities  and  in  others  having  apparently  similar  climatic  and 
soil  conditions. 

Of  the  varieties  which,  because  of  their  past  performance,  are  not 
considered  as  being  worthy  of  commercial  planting  in  any  section, 
the  following  are  a  few:  Appomattox,  Atlanta,  Beveridge,  Centen- 
nial, Hadley,  Hall,  Hodge,  Jacocks,  Jewett,  Krak-Ezy,  Magnum, 
Olustee,  Rome  (syns.  Columbian,  Twentieth  Century,  Pride  of  the 
Coast,  etc.),  and  Senator. 

Varieties  now  considered  best  for  planting  in  the  plains  sections  of 
southeastern  Virginia  and  eastern  North  Carolina  are  the  Stuart, 
Mantura,  Van  Deman,  Moneymaker,  Schley,  Pabst,  and  James. 

1  It  is  highly  improbable  that  any  variety  will  ever  be  discovered  which  will  be  alto- 
gether immune  under  all  conditions  to  fungous  diseases  or  insect  pests,  but  some  varieties 
are  known  to  be  less  subject  to  certain  diseases  than  others,  and  considerable  evidence  at 
hand  indicates  that  some  are  less  affected  by  certain  insect  pests  than  others. 


PECAN   CULTURE.  29 

Varieties  which  may  be  recommended  for  eastern  South  Carolina, 
eastern  and  central  Georgia,  central  Alabama,  and  central  Missis- 
sippi are  the  Schley,  Stuart,  Van  Deman,  Moneymaker,  James,  and 
Carman. 

Varieties  for  planting  in  south  Georgia  and  north  Florida  are  the 
Schley,  Curtis,  Bradley,  Alley,  Van  Deman,  Stuart,  Moneymaker, 
President,  Pabst,  and  Russell. 

Varieties  for  central  and  north  Florida:  Curtis,  Bradley,  Ken- 
nedy, President,  Schley,  Van  Deman,  and  Moneymaker. 

Varieties  for  the  coastal  section  of  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and 
Louisiana :  Schley,  Curtis,  Alley,  Van  Deman,  Russell,  Stuart,  Pabst, 
Success,  and  Havens. 

Varieties  for  east  Texas:  Very  few  sorts  have  been  given  a  fair 
trial  in  this  section.  The  varieties  here  mentioned  are  recommended 
very  largely  because  of  their  performance  farther  east.  They  are 
the  Stuart,  Moneymaker,  Schley,  Curtis,  Van  Deman,  Bradley,  Car- 
man, and  James. 

Varieties  for  west  Texas:  Sovereign  (syn.  Texas  Prolific),  Kin- 
caid,  Colorado.  San  Saba.  Halbert,  and  Burket. 

Varieties  for  northern  Louisiana,  southern  Arkansas,  and  northern 
Mississippi :  Very  few  sorts  have  been  given  a  fair  trial  in  this  sec- 
tion. The  following  varieties  are  mentioned  because  of  certain  evi- 
dence of  superior  hardiness  which  they  have  shown  and  the  general 
merit  of  the  nuts  themselves,  but  they  are  recommended  for  con- 
servative planting  only :  Moneymaker,  Carman,  Stuart,  Van  Deman, 
Schley,  Pabst,  and  Success. 

Varieties  for  the  section  including  central  and  western  Tennessee, 
central  and  western  Kentucky,  southern  Indiana,  southern  and  south- 
western Illinois,  eastern  and  southern  Missouri,  southeastern  Kansas, 
Oklahoma,  and  northern  Arkansas:  Only  varieties  of  northern  or 
local  origin  should  be  considered  for  planting  in  this  general  area, 
as  none  of  the  southern  sorts  are  sufficiently  hardy  to  justify  their 
recommendation.  The  best  of  these  are  the  Major,  Niblack,  Indiana, 
Busseron,  and  Posey. 

DESCRIPTIONS  OF  VARIETIES. 

The  following  characterization  of  varieties  is  taken  largely  from 
Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  Bulletin  No.  251,  entitled  "  The  Pecan," 
issued  in  1912.  The  most  inferior  varieties  are  not  included  in  the 

list, 

Alley. 

From  Jackson  County,  Miss.  Widely  disseminated  since  being  Introduced  in  1896;  size 
medium  ;  shell  thin  ;  kernal  plump ;  flavor  good ;  a  medium  to  heavy  bearer  and  a 
symmetrical,  vigorous  grower,  somewhat  subject  to  scab  under  certain  conditions. 

Aurora. 

Prom  Mobile  County,  Ala.  Not  yet  propagated  to  a  great  extent ;  size  large ;  shell 
somewhat  thick  ;  partitions  rather  corky  ;  kernel  fairly  plump  ;  flavor  good  to  very 
good.  Probably  adapted  to  markets  ratoring  to  largo  nuts. 


30  FARMERS '  BULLETIN   700. 

Bem&n* 

From  Hancock  County,  Ga.  Propagated  to  a  limited  extent  only.  Size  below  medium ; 
shell  rather  hard  ;  kernel  plump,  bright  colored,  rich,  and  of  excellent  flavor.  Very 
productive.  Promising  for  north  Georgia  and  vicinity. 

Bidwell. 

From  Butte  County,  Cal.  First  propagated  in  1913.  Size  medium  ;  shell  thin,  cracking 
quality  excellent ;  kernel  plump ;  rich  and  of  very  good  flavor.  Believed  to  be  of 
especial  value  for  planting  in  the  Sacramento  Valley. 

From  Jefferson  County,  Fla.  Size  above  medium  ;  shell  moderately  thin  ;  kernel  not 
always  plump ;  flavor  fairly  good.  Bearing  record  not  proved.  Needs  further  testing. 

Bradley. 

From  Baker  County,  Fla.  Size  below  medium  ;  shell  of  average  thickness,  hard  ;  kernel 
plump  ;  flavor  very  good.  Very  productive.  Especially  promising  for  Florida  and 
south  Georgia. 

Burkett. 

From  Callahan  County,  Tex.  Size  large ;  shell  thin  ;  kernel  plump  ;  flavor  excellent. 
Said  to  be  productive.  Should  be  especially  adapted  to  planting  in  west  and  central 
north  Texas. 

From  Knox  County,  Ind.  Not  widely  disseminated  thus  far,  but  believed  to  be  espe- 
cially promising  for  the  northern  range.  Nuts  closely  resemble  Indiana,  of  which 
the  Busseron  may  be  the  parent. 

From  Concordia  Parish,  La.  Not  yet  extensively  propagated.  Size  medium ;  shell 
somewhat  thick ;  kernel  plump ;  quality  rich ;  flavor  excellent ;  very  productive. 

From  San  Saba  County,  Tex.  Little  propagated  as  yet.  Size  large ;  shell  somewhat 
thick ;  kernel  plump ;  quality  rich ;  flavor  excellent.  A  seedling  of  San  Saba. 
Probably  especially  adapted  to  planting  in  western  Texas. 

Curtis. 

From  Alachua  County,  Fla.  Size  below  medium  ;  shell  thin  ;  kernel  plump  :  cracking 
quality  excellent ;  quality  rich  ;  flavor  excellent.  Very  productive.  Widely  dissemi- 
nated. Popular  in  Florida. 

Daisy. 

From  Comal  County,  Tex.  Widely  disseminated,  though  not  extensively  planted.  Size 
medium  ;  shell  moderately  thin  ;  cracking  quality  not  good  :  kernel  plump  :  quality 
rich ;  flavor  very  good.  Tree  vigorous ;  said  to  be  productive.  Probably  best 
adapted  to  western  Texas. 

Delmas. 

From  Jackson  County,  Miss.  Widely  disseminated.  Size  large  to  very  large ;  shell 
moderately  thin  ;  kernel  plump  ;  quality  good  to  very  good  ;  flavor  excellent.  Tree 
vigorous ;  productive.  Very  much  subject  to  scab  under  certain  conditions. 

Frotscher. 

From  Iberia  Parish,  La.  Widely  disseminated.  Size  large ;  shell  very  thin  ;  kernel 
moderately  plump,  often  dark  colored ;  quality  fair ;  flavor  medium.  Popular  in 
southwestern  Georgia  and  parts  of  Louisiana.  Very  free  from  disease.  Generally 
reported  as  being  a  shy  bearer. 

Georgia. 

From  Mitchell  County,  Ga.  Size  above  medium :  shell  thick,  rather  hard ;  kernel 
plump  :  quality  good  ;  flavor  pleasant.  Very  prolific  but  extremely  subject  to  scab  in 
most  places  where  tried.  Should  be  avoided  for  the  present. 

Greenriver. 

From  Henderson  County.  Ky.  Propagation  recently  begun.  Size  somewhat  below 
medium  :  shell  of  average  thickness :  kernel  plump  ;  quality  rich ;  flavor  excellent. 
A  promising  variety,  especially  for  northern  planting. 

Halbert. 

From  Coleman  County,  Tex.  Widely  disseminated,  mainly  by  scions  used  in  top- 
working.  Size  small :  shell  very  thin  :  kernel  unusually  plump  ;  quality  rich ;  flavor 
excellent.  Very  prolific.  Especially  adapted  to  planting  in  western  Texas  and  places 
of  similar  climatic  conditions. 

Havens. 

From  Jackson  County,  Miss.  Not  widely  disseminated.  Size  medium  to  large ;  shell 
very  thin  ;  one  of  the  best  crackers  ;  kernel  usually  plump  :  quality  good  :  flavor  sweet, 
though  sometimes  slightly  astringent.  Promising  for  Gulf  coast  planting. 

Indiana. 

From  Knox  County,  Ind.  Not  yet  widely  disseminated.  Considered  highly  promising 
for  planting  in  the  northern  ranee.  Size  medium ;  shell  of  average'  thickness : 
quality  and  flavor  very  good.  Prolific. 

James. 

From  Madison  Parish,  La.     Not  widely  disseminated.     Size  medium  ;  shell  thin :  crack- 
ing quality  excellent ;  quality  rich  ;  flavor  sweet.     Very  prolific.     Promising  for  the 
northern  portion  of  the  range  of  southern  varieties.    According  to  the  introducer,  this 
variety  is  highly  subject  to  scab  at  Mound,  La. 
Kennedy. 

From  Alachua  County,  Fla.  Not  widely  disseminated.  Size  medium  to  large;  shell 
moderately  thin  ;  quality  very  good  ;  flavor  sweet.  Very  productive  in  some  years. 
Inclined  to  be  irregular.  Especially  adapted  to  central  and  northern  Florida 


PECAN   CULTUEE.  31 

Klncaid. 

From  San  Saba  County,  Tex.  Well  disseminated  In  central  and  western  Texas.  Size 
large ;  shell  of  medium  thickness ;  kernel  plump ;  quality  very  good ;  flavor  sweet. 
Very  prolific.  Especially  recommended  for  western  Texas.  Very  much  subject  to 

scab  in  the  Atlantic  States. 


Major. 


om  Henderson  County,  Ky.  Recently  introduced.  Not  yet  widely  disseminated. 
Size  slightly  below  medium  ;  shell  thin  ;  kernel  unusually  plump  ;  quality  rich  ;  flavor 
excellent.  Considered  especially  promising  for  planting  in  the  northern  range. 


Mantura. 

From  Surry  County,  Va.  Size  medium  to  large ;  shell  thin  ;  kernal  not  always  plump 
at  tip,  somewhat  shrunken ;  quality  good ;  flavor  good.  Said  to  be  productive. 
Promising  for  the  northern  range  of  southern  varieties. 

Mobile. 

From  Mobile  County,  Ala.  Well  disseminated,  especially  in  southwestern  Georgia. 
Size  medium  to  large ;  shell  moderately  thin ;  kernel  sometimes  plump,  though  fre- 
quently very  defective ;  quality  fair ;  flavor  fair ;  very  productive,  but  thus  far 
generally  objectionable  after  second  or  third  full  crop  because  of  the  great  percentage 
of  defective  kernels.  Not  recommended  for  extensive  planting  in  any  section. 

Moneymaker. 

From  Madison  Parish,  La.  Widely  disseminated.  Size  medium  ;  kernel  fairly  plump ; 
quality  fair ;  flavor  sweet.  Very  prolific.  Especially  suited  to  planting  in  the 
northern  range  of  the  area  adapted  to  southern  varieties. 

Moore.     SYNONYMS  :  Long  Moore,  Moore  No.  1,  Moore  No.  2. 

From  Jefferson  County,  Fla.     Size  below  medium  ;   shell  of  average  thickness ; 
fair ;  flavor  fair.     Unusually  productive  and  one  of  the  earliest  to  mature. 
suited  to  northern  Florida. 


From  Hancock  County,  Miss.  Size  very  large ;  shell  thick ;  kernel  occasionally  plump, 
though  usually  very  defective  ;  quality  medium  ;  flavor  good.  Tree  unusually  vigor- 
ous ;  very  productive.  Not  recommended  for  extensive  planting  in  any  section. 

Niblack. 

From  Knox  County,  Ind.  First  propagated  in  1913.  Size  somewhat  below  medium ; 
shell  moderately  thick ;  cracking  quality  excellent ;  kernel  plump,  somewhat  dry ; 
quality  good ;  flavor  very  good.  Parent  tree  very  productive.  Promising  for  the 
range  of  northern  varieties. 

Norton. 

From  Pike  County,  Mo.  Size  medium ;  shell  moderately  thick ;  cracking  quality  fair ; 
kernel  plump ;  quality  rich ;  flavor  sweet.  Promising  for  the  range  of  northern 
varieties. 

Pabst. 

From  Jackson  County,  Miss.  Widely  disseminated.  Size  large ;  shell  somewhat  thick ; 
kernel  usually  plump ;  quality  good ;  flavor  sweet.  Generally  productive,  though  by 
some  thought  not  to  be  an  early  bearer. 

Posey. 

From  Gibson  County,  Ind.  Propagation  but  recently  begun.  Size  medium  ;•  shell  thin; 
cracking  quality  excellent ;  kernel  fairly  plump  ;  quality  rich  ;  flavor  sweet.  This  is 
probably  the  easiest  to  crack  of  any  of  the  northern  varieties  yet  named.  Promising 
for  the  range  of  northern  varieties. 

President. 

From  Duval  County,  Fla.  Well  disseminated  in  northern  Florida.  Size  medium  ;  shell 
of  medium  thickness  ;  kernel  plump  ;  quality  good ;  flavor  pleasant.  Vigorous  and 
productive.  Considered  as  especially  promising  for  central  and  northern  Florida. 

Randall. 

From  Alachua  County,  Fla.  Not  widely  disseminated.  Size  large ;  shell  rather  thick ; 
kernel  plump ;  quality  rich ;  flavor  sweet.  Prolific,  though  irregular  In  bearing. 
Evidently  well  suited  to  central  and  northern  Florida. 

Reuss. 

From  Ascension  Parish,  La.    Not  yet  disseminated.     Size  slightly  below  medium ;  shell 
very  thin  ;  kernel  plump  ;  quality  good  to  very  good  ;  an  excellent  cracker.     Evidently 
promising,  especially  for  the  northern  range  of  the  area  adapted  to  southern  varieties. 
Robinson. 

From  Orange  County,  Fla.  Not  widely  disseminated.  Size  large  ;  shell  rather  thick ; 
kernel  fairly  plump ;  quality  good ;  flavor  pleasant.  Very  productive.  Evidently 
promising  for  planting  in  the  southern  limits  of  the  Florida  area  adapted  to  pecans. 

Robson. 

From  Jackson  County,  Miss.  More  or  less  widely  disseminated,  though  not  well  known. 
Size  medium  ;  shell  thin  ;  kernel  somewhat  shrunken  ;  quality  good  ;  flavor  pleasant. 
From  same  parentage  as  Russell,  resembling  that  variety  in  many  respects. 

Russell. 

From  Jackson  County,  Miss.  Widely  disseminated.  Size  medium  ;  shell  very  thin ; 
kernel  somewhat  shrunken  ;  quality  good  ;  flavor  sweet.  Prolific.  Said  to  be  sensitive 
to  cold  weather. 

San  Saba. 

From  San  Saba  County,  Tex.  Very  well  known.  Size  small ;  shell  unusually  thin ; 
kernel  very  plump  ;  quality  very  rich  ;  flavor  excellent.  Highly  productive.  Espe- 
cially adapted  to  western  Texas.  Not  suited  to  eastern  planting. 


233151 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 

3   ig 


MOV  13 


Form  L-9-l5m-3.'34 


i 
- 


r  disseminate 
me  tree ; 
fely  productive,! 
ne  of  the  me 


kernel  plump : 
:ed  to  planting 


•  variety. 
t  good  ;  kernel! 
;  broken  shell  i 
1  in  nearly  all 


se  large 
ch ;  fla^ 


to  ve 
vor 


y   disseminated] 
•eet.      Evidentlj 


Frotscher.     Siz 
.ality  medium  tc 
over  the  entir 
>f  the  kernels 
L,ouisiana. 

of   all   varieti 
p  ;   quality   rich  ; 
.ptibility  to  scat 


e   slightly   bel 
;  flavor  excellentl 
•iety  for  planting 


Florida.  Siz 
y  below  medium 
:ially  adapted 


sly  planted. 

flavor    swe 


sly 

3d  ; 


:her  in  nut  char 

jugh  of  attract^ 

aid  be  held  as 


WASHINGTON  :  GOVERNMENT  PRINTINC,  OFFICH  :  1 

-:S1TY  of  CALIFORNIA 

AT 

LOS  ANGELES 
UBRARt 


Photomount 
Pamphlet 

Binder 
Gaylord  Bros.  Inc. 

Makers 
Stockton,  Calif 

PAT.  JAN.  21.  1908 


